Petals in the past
by kurohime1024
Summary: The world is barren. Sasuke has taken everything. There is only one hope, to go back and reset all that has been done. But what then? Will living life a second time bring them happiness? Or will the events that brought them here come to pass a second time. Time-travel, ItachiXSakura in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:**

 **Thank you for choosing to read my newest story. I know it's been a while since I wrote anything, and I'm trying to get back into the game. If you have any thoughts on how my story is going, please, review. I love reviews. Always have. I think they are great, and I appreciate constructive criticism.**

 **I realize nowadays that not everyone does disclaimers, but I did when I first started writing, and I will continue to do so. Sorry if it's annoying. I'm an old ass lady who is stuck in her ways, and I'm not planning on changing any time soon.**

 **Now, without any further ado, please enjoy Petals in the Past.**

Petals in the past ch. 1

The sight was bleak. Thick gray overcast and the ever present mist put a shiver through Sakura as she stood alone on a rocky cliff side overlooking the abandoned village.

 _Amegakure_

That was what this place had been called before the war had ravaged it. The thought made her frown, for she knew all too well how many lives had been destroyed by that cataclysm, and it's following fallout.

The village hidden in the rain had always been a war torn place, originally being made up of survivors of the third great shinobi war. They were no strangers to suffering and sadness. Death was nothing new to them. However, even these hardy people were not prepared for the one man wrecking ball that was Sasuke Uchiha.

The death of Itachi Uchiha could be seen as the first chime of the bell of destruction that would be Sasuke's quest for revenge. It was a well known event in the ninja world, as the two had been on a collision path for some years. Sasuke's self imposed excommunication from the Leaf village and the events that led him to work for Orochimaru all pointed to Itachi. His countless hours of training, both mind and body, all to overcome his elder brother and avenge the death of his entire clan. And yet, when they finally met on the battle field, the victory by Sasuke had felt hollow. His brother, for all intents and purposes, seemed grateful when defeated. As if, his soul had been cleansed. Sasuke hadn't understood at the time, but it was said that when the masked man Tobi revealed the tragic and selfless full story of Itachi, Sasuke was so shocked he didn't move for days.

But when he did, the world felt it.

That burning hatred for all living things. It emanated from him like a visible essence. No one who dared to face him survived.

The tensions between nations had already been high, as the repeated attacks by the Akatsuki on strategic targets worked to weaken alliances and boost their strength with the power of the tailed jinchuriki. Konoha did it's best to hold together a united front with the other major powers, but the traitorous Kabuto worked against them with his forbidden jutsu Impure World Reincarnation. It was then that the long dead heroes of many villages were brought back and made to fight their younger generations, with some shinobi fighting mothers, fathers, and siblings.

Sasuke was no different, and he eventually came into contact with the brother that he killed.

Many think that Itachi's second death is what finally cracked Sasuke's mind. After Itachi's resurrection he dropped his cold, hardened facade, and revealed his inner compassionate nature. Sakura had read the reports from ninja who had met him in the field, and all of them had the same recollection. He was genuinely concerned about others, and had done all that he could to help, even bandaging a Suna kunoichi's leg when she had broken it on a recon mission out of Otokagure. The speculation was that he used his advanced Sharingan to withstand the controlling nature of the Resurrection jutsu, and it seemed that he was doing everything he could to use his second chance at life to combat Sasuke's destructive behavior.

Itachi eventually tracked his younger sibling, and they spent some time holed up in a mountain. No one knows what happened, as the recon on the area gave little clues, however, it appeared that Itachi had died again. His cloak and effects were found near an impassable cave in, and it was assumed that he had caused it before he could expire after a fight with Kabuto. As for the Sound ninja, his body was found mangled and displayed in the outskirts of the forest surrounding the Leaf village, presumably by Sasuke as a message of his rage.

From there, it was attack after attack, each onslaught strategically set against the Leaf village itself. It's allies worked to prevent it's fall, but eventually Leaf lost support as Sasuke pulled attacks from every surrounding village, with the promise that they would remain untouched as long as they retreated from it's treaty with Konoha. Many did. And in the end it didn't matter. After he defeated Naruto Uzomaki in a head to head duel, he systematically dismantled everything that was once a part of the Leaf village. The remaining survivors, like Sakura, had been forced to live like rogue nin, constantly moving from place to place, always on the look out for Sasuke and his ever growing army.

The allies that had abandoned Konohagakure in it's hour of need fell next, as nothing seemed to quell Sasuke's quest for bloodshed. There seemed to be no hope in this world, least of all for Sakura, who had lost her family and friends all in a matter of months. The loss of hope around the world was almost a tangible thing, as skirmishes and famine swept the lands. Within a year of the start of the war, victory was nowhere in sight, and suffering seemed the only thing to strive.

So Sakura really didn't have anything to lose when a mysterious message found her in the outskirts of the village hidden in the stone. It told her that someone was desperate to meet her and needed her to travel south into the territory of the village hidden in the rain. That details would be provided when she arrived, but that she needed to get there immediately.

 _Sakura POV:_

'I can't believe I'm doing this. It has to be a trap, but I can't help this damned curiosity.'

The tattered note in my hands was most likely the final nail in my coffin, but I have to know. Who could possibly be alive still that want's to see me.

 _Could be Sasuke, finally coming for the last member of Team 7_

My inner so isn't helping right now. My nerves are about as frayed as they could be, and I haven't even gotten there yet. But the last two months have been hell. I'm so fucking lonely, I don't think dying would be so bad.

 _Hey, that's all well and good, but I live here too. I like living, you know._

I can't help the wave of depression that I can feel clouding my mind. Do _I_ like living? I'm all alone, all the people I love are dead. My best friend died giving me and my squad time to escape. Always protecting me.

The rage is real in me. Swirling inside like a great storm. How could Sasuke murder him like that. We both would have done anything for him, and he turned on us. We didn't have anything to do with his brother. He knew that! But did he care? No.

 _No, he didn't. And we could stand here all day thinking about how he be is an empty shell who cares about nothing but revenge. Or, we could go down there and face whoever went through the trouble of tracking us down. Your choice._

I let out a loud sigh. As usual, my inner voice is right. I need to get a grip. I came all the way here, I need to see this thing through.

The wind whistled past my face as I jumped off the cliff. Even short, my hair whipped behind me, and for just a moment, I felt totally weightless. Too soon though, the unforgiving ground came into view, and I focused my chakra to the surface of my skin, creating a protective layer as I landed and rolled to distribute my weight.

Standing, I brushed the dirt from myself, and looked around. Nothing but burnt out houses, but the faint pulsing of a weak chakra signature caught my senses. Cautiously, I approached it, and soon found myself outside of a semi-habitable hut. The roof still remained, though the walls seemed to be about to collapse into rubble at the slightest provocation. A dark cloth hung over the doorway, concealing inside.

Here goes nothing.

I swallowed nervously, and pushed it aside to enter.

Inside smelled of damp earth. My eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness, alighting on a huddled figure in the corner, wrapped in cloth.

"Who are you, and why have you brought me here." I say, trying to imitate a sense of fearlessness.

The covered figure shifted slightly, and I was stricken with the sight of two ebony eyes looking back at me. Panic shot through me as I immediately thought Sasuke had come for me, but it faded when the man made no move to attack me.

Pushing back his hood, Itachi Uchiha eyed me with interest. "Sakura Haruno, I need your help."

 **If you liked this so far, please drop a review. I am trying to update as soon a possible, but sometimes writer's block hits me like a ton of bricks. Until next chapter!**

 **-Kurohime1024**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello and welcome to my second chapter of Petals in the past. For now and ever, I don't own Naruto, or any of the possible references, I write for joy and joy alone.**

 **Recap:**

 _Here goes nothing._

 _I swallowed nervously, and pushed it aside to enter._

 _Inside smelled of damp earth. My eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness, alighting on a huddled figure in the corner, wrapped in cloth._

" _Who are you, and why have you brought me here." I say, trying to imitate a sense of fearlessness._

 _The covered figure shifted slightly, and I was stricken with the sight of two ebony eyes looking back at me. Panic shot through me as I immediately thought Sasuke had come for me, but it faded when the man made no move to attack me._

 _Pushing back his hood, Itachi Uchiha eyed me with interest. "Sakura Haruno, I need your help."_

I couldn't speak or move. Itachi Uchiha, the _dead_ Itachi Uchiha, needed my help. What in the seven hells could he possibly need, _from me._

"I see you are in shock." he stated wryly.

Was that, humor? How can he find any of this funny?

"I'm not sure what kind of joke this is, but Itachi Uchiha is dead. Whoever you are, I am leaving. Don't try and contact me again."

I turned to leave, only to find myself inches from his face. How is he so fast? He stood up straight and eyed me with a look I couldn't quite place. Wait, was he stooping to my level? That jerk.

"You are cautious. That is good. But I really need you to believe me. I am Itachi Uchiha. And I need your help."

I could feel my eyebrow starting to twitch. "You already said that. I know you need my help, but you haven't said with what. And besides, you can't be who you say you are. He's dead. I read the reports."

"Oh, the reports," he said, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "The all knowing reports. Did those reports happen to mention that I subdued Kabuto relatively easily, even though he had transformed into his new, Orochimaru inspired form. While he thought he had the upper hand, he revealed his plan to me, in that he was using all the conflict with the Akatsuki and Sound to weaken the major political powers. With all the infighting, it would be easy for him to come in and pick off the survivors, who are no doubt weakened."

"Like a vulture." I said. It wasn't really surprising that his plan revolved around other people doing the heavy lifting. Kabuto always seemed to operate that way. What I didn't know was that Kabuto had developed a new, more powerful form.

"Tell me about how he got more powerful." I said. I had to make sure he had at least a little knowledge I didn't. After all, anyone who knew even a little bit about Kabuto and his penchant for schemes could come up with a lie like that.

"You think I'm making up a story so you will trust me." he stated. It wasn't a question, but merely an observation.

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked. "I didn't survive this long by trusting the first handsome stranger to hand me a tall tale."

"Oh, so you think I'm handsome? Interesting, Sakura Haruno."

"Can you just get to the part where I don't leave you here in this mud hole and never look back?" I said more than a little aggressively.

"I will tell you something you want to hear." He started, brushing past me to return to his seat in the corner. "Kabuto had been working on enhancing his skill set with bits of Orochimaru's flesh. He grafted it to his own body, and absorbed part of his mentor's essence, meshing it with his own chakra."

"That's disgusting."

"And yet, it's true."

"How can I believe you? As far as I know, you could be making this all up in an attempt to confuse me, and ultimately distract me so you can finish what Sasuke started when he killed Naruto and our teacher Kakashi."

"There is one way to convince you. I could show you."

"Wha-" Before I could finish my question, my gaze fell upon his, and the eyes that I met that had been ink black a second ago, glowed crimson.

"This might sting."

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in the center of my forehead, and my vision fell black.

 _I stood in a cave. The moisture glistened on the walls, and the stench of moss and earth hid my nose. 'Where am I?' I thought, not at all familiar with this place._

 _A laugh rang out from my left, and my disoriented self seemed to suddenly take in a fight happening before me._

" _I have you right where I want you, my dear Itachi. Orochimaru-sama will be so pleased when I tell him I have acquired your rare and valuable eyes."_

 _The way he spoke, was eerie. Like he was obsessed with Itachi's eyes. It made my skin crawl, to hear the smile in his voice. Like he was speaking to a lover._

" _You know I won't allow that, Kabuto." came Itachi's stern tone. I looked him over, to see him standing completely at ease. What is with this guy?_

" _You dare defy my power? Oh Itachi, it will be such a joy to rip our your eyes and deliver them to him myself."_

 _The gray haired ninja's form started to morph, stretching and snapping. His skin stretched until it started to rip, shredding from his body. It was sickening to watch, but I found I couldn't look away as his old shell fell away, revealing a white scaled...thing._

" _Hahahaha, do you like what I have done? It's so much more aesthetically pleasing, don't you think?"_

" _Kabuto, what have you done?" Itachi asked, eyes widened in disbelief._

" _No more talk" Kabuto snarled, lunging at Itachi, who deftly avoided the strike. However, when he dodged, hidden explosive tags ignited, sending Itachi smashing to the ground. He dodged another direct attack, pulling out a kunai to retaliate._

 _After exchanging blows for what seemed to drag on forever, both retreated to assess damage. While Kabuto remained untouched, Itachi was breathing hard and clutching his side, where I could see blood pooling around his fingers. Then, he dropped his kunai._

' _Poison.' I thought, not surprised. That's what I would have done._

" _Do you like my venom, Itachi dear?" Kabuto crowed. "I made it specially for you."_

" _I can't move. What trick is this?"_

" _No trick, pet. Simply scientific genius at work on your circulatory system. Whats that? You are having trouble breathing? Don't worry, ill end things for you quickly." He pulled out a single kunai knife, and started to nonchalantly make his way to Itachi's prone body._

' _If I could interact with them, I could extract the poison no problem.' I thought, annoyed at the sad sight before me. I jumped a little when Itachi started to laugh._

" _Why are you laughing? Have you finally realized that I have bested you? You are going to die here, Uchiha."_

" _No, Kabuto, I am not." Itachi said, standing up._

" _No! You shouldn't even be able to blink, let alone stand! What have you done?"_

" _Me?" Itachi said, tilting his head with a smirk. "You act as though I cheated somehow. Dear Kabuto, I never cheat. It was simply that this was all an illusion."_

" _An...illusion?" Kabuto stammered. "I'm in a genjustu?"_

" _My, your cleverness never ceases to amaze."Itachi drawled. Is he enjoying this? It kind of looks like he is. I'm still surprised to see any emotion on an Uchiha's face, let alone humor or enjoyment._

" _You see," he continued, "You have been trapped in my genjutsu world from the very beginning. None of this has been real, I'm afraid to say. My layers upon layers of illusion have you so tightly wrapped, you have no hope of escape. And now, I must leave you behind. Goodbye."_

 _There is a feeling in my gut, like a pulling sensation, and the world warps before me._

 _I stood in a cave. The moisture glistened on the walls, and the stench of moss and earth hid my nose. 'Where am I?' I thought, not at all familiar with this place._

 _A laugh rang out from my left, and my disoriented self seemed to suddenly take in a fight happening before me._

" _I have you right where I want you, my dear Itachi. Orochimaru-sama will be so pleased when I tell him I have acquired your rare and valuable eyes."_

' _What is going on?' I already saw all this. Is the memory repeating?_

" _No, Sakura Haruno. At least, not for you."_

' _Itachi? Why am I hearing his disembodied voice in my head?_

" _What's going on Itachi?" I asked, tension evident in my tone. Damn, this whole out of body experience has me rattled._

" _The scene before you was intended for Kabuto. He will relive this moment for as long as he is alive. Do you believe me yet? I am Itachi Uchiha, and I am alive, and I need your help to save everyone you know. The whole world is suffering more than I could have ever imagined, because of my little brother and his choices. I need someone to help me right his wrongs. Please."_

 _I stood silently, considering his words. "Let's say I do believe you. I will need more information, obviously. But can we discuss it outside of this genjutsu flashback? It's starting to really creep me out."_

" _Of course." he said, and my vision went black once again._

I am back in the hut in Amegakure, staring down a legend.

"Tell me more about your plan."

"I need your vast amount of chakra to break the laws of the universe and travel back in time."

 **Aaand, scene.**

 **Another cliffhanger, I know. I also realize that a lot of time-travel stories start a lot faster than this one is, and I apologize. I just don't want to be another story that cuts right to the chase and leaves out how it could have really gone. I hope you have been enjoying the chapters I have written so far, and I hope to give you much more to read about very soon. Until next update.**

 **-Kurohime1024**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello and welcome to the third chapter of Petals in the past. As always, I don't own Naruto, or any of it's affiliate plots, subplots, or sub-subplots.**

 _I am back in the hut in Amegakure, staring down a legend._

" _Tell me more about your plan."_

" _I need your vast amount of chakra to break the laws of the universe and travel back in time."_

"You need my chakra?" I asked, not really understanding. How could I have something that the great Itachi Uchiha doesn't.

"Yes. My own chakra reserves are relatively small, and although I am skilled at working with what I have, I am nothing compared to your level of skill."

I could feel my face get hot. Did he just compliment me? I must have heard wrong.

"I think you are mistaken. My two team mates are the ones with real power. I pale in comparison to not just them, but plenty of other people have more skill than I do. Some of them are even alive still, you might be better off going to one of them for help."

"I am not mistaken." he said firmly. He sounds so convinced. I have never heard anyone believe in me this way. If I am being honest, not even Kakashi had this much conviction in me, that's why he instead chose to teach Sasuke individually. I was always just average.

As if reading my mind, he frowned. "You are not average, of that I am certain. You trained under the powerful Sanin Tsunade, and at only sixteen years old, defeated one of the Akatsuki with your own prowess and planning. Yes, you may have had a little help from his grandmother, but without your skill at medical ninjutsu and unprecedented talent for making antidotes, you both would have lost."

"You make me sound so amazing." I said, looking down at my feet. "But I'm not. Everything I have is because someone helped me get it."

He tilted his head, his once again dark eyes scanning me questioningly. "Is that not the nature of life? To grow, with companions. To learn from one another, and nurture each others talents? The world we live in now has no hope of that growth. I want to try and change it for the better. And I know that you can help me. No one else on this earth has the deep well of chakra that you do. Not even Tsunade herself could perfect the Strength of a Hundred seal as you have. I have come to the right person, I am sure of it."

"I hope you are right, Uchiha. Because if you aren't, I'll probably die helping you with this crazy scheme, and then I'll probably haunt you or something."

He let out a small laugh. "So you will help me?"

I sighed. What else did I have to lose.

"Yes, I will help you."

We stayed up all night perfecting the details. How we would go about stamping out all the threats we are facing now while they are still small. Kabuto, Orochimaru, even Danzo. To stop Sasuke, we needed to take down everything that set him on this path to destruction in the first place.

"I can't believe we are going to stop the Uchiha massacre." I said, my excitement clear on my face. "That's so amazing! I'll get to meet your parents."

He sighed, taking a small drink of water from his earthen mug. "Yes. My parents. I suppose my life will be very different with them alive and well."

"You don't sound happy." I said, confused. Shouldn't he be exploding with happiness?

"I'm not...unhappy. It's just, my family isn't filled with the best of people. They were content to let the village suffer just to free themselves from exile. I can't let that happen, but I don't know how to stop it. How can I convince them not to go around murdering innocent people?"

"I mean, there is one solution. They wanted out of exile. So get them out of exile. Your family was still in charge of the police force, and from what I understood about them, they still wielded a lot of power in the village. We should go to the Hokage and tell him and only him who we are, and get him to help us fix it. Then, your family would have no reason for the coup in the first place."

"That is dangerous, Sakura. If he doesn't help us, we could be exposing ourselves to a lot of unpleasantness. We would be interrogated, and most likely killed."

I can't help but let out a sigh of my own. He's not wrong. The leaf village likes to play the hero, and being the largest and wealthiest of all the nations makes for a large image to project. If someone found out that it was someone in the Leaf village that started the largest conflict and loss of life anyone had ever seen, they might just kill us, and little Sasuke, to prevent it.

"I don't seen any other options, though." I said. "We can't let a war break out while we are trying to prevent another one from starting."

"I am afraid you may be right. I am just worried that we will fail, and it will all be for nothing."

"So what?"

He looked up at me, startled. "What do you mean, so what? So what is we die, and the world goes to hell all over again."

"Maybe not. Even if we change just one thing, it could ripple. And, if we die, it won't be much different than where we are right now. I'm alone and hopeless, my best friend is dead, and I am basically running until Sasuke eventually finds me and kills me. You, my resurrected friend, are sitting here in a run down hovel in a dead village, with a paper body and dying eyes."

"How did you-"

"How did I know you are almost blind? I'm a medic, give me some credit."

He nods, a small smile playing at his lips. "Fair enough. I am almost totally blind, but my other senses are keen. I can only see when my Sharingan is active, but the pain is growing almost too heavy to use it. This 'gift', has it's give and take, I suppose."

"I want to make you a promise." I said, surprising him. He looked at me questioningly, so I pressed on. "When we go back, I will heal your eyes when they reach this stage. I don't really know the intricacies of your kekkai-genkai, but I am a quick study. I promise that I will heal you so you won't ever loose your gift."

Something soft set in his eyes, but I couldn't place it.

"You are a kind soul, Sakura Haruno. You don't need to care about my condition, I have managed it for years without anyone finding out. But I will take your kindness and in return offer you a branch of friendship. When we go back, no matter the odds or situation, I will stay by your side. We will not loose one another in the past. That is a promise."

I couldn't help but smile. I wasn't expecting that, to be honest I thought we would go our separate ways. He has much to cover, and I kind of thought he only needed me for my chakra. I thought once we got there, I would be on my own. His reassurance wasn't' something I thought I needed, but I guess it was.

"Alright then, Uchiha. How are we going to do this? Do we have to wait until the moon hits a certain phase, or the planets align? Like, what do we need to do?"

He laughed aloud then. "Nothing like that. I have the forbidden seal with me. All I need is some blood, and as much chakra as you can possibly muster."

"So, we can do this now?"

"Is there any better time?"

"I guess not." I pulled out a kunai knife, as he unrolled the scroll on the floor of the hut. I had expected a little more dramatic fanfare, to be honest, and was a little surprised. He stood up, as I sliced my palm, and I handed him the knife. He sliced his forearm, drawing the life giving liquid.

"Forearm hurts less." he said, eyeing my dripping hand. I rolled my eyes.

"Not for me." I smirked. I could heal it at any time instantly, after all.

We both focused our chakra as we held our arms over the scroll. When the scarlet drops hit the ancient parchment, the words started to glow a bright blue.

"Very dramatic." I teased. This was all too surreal for me. Am I really this calm? I am about to jump into a swirling vortex with a twice dead mass murderer, and all I can think about is how calm he is, and how it's centering me. Like, he has foreseen all possible outcomes, and he is still going through with it, so why shouldn't I? I still can't believe I am friends with Itachi Uchiha. It feels like a long time since I had one of those.

I could feel the pulsing from the scroll as we fed chakra into it. Slowly, a small hole opened up on the scroll, swallowing the writing. Inside it was...nothing. Just blank space. I took an involuntary step back, but felt a strong hand grasp my own.

"You can do this, Sakura. It's up to you now. My reserves are getting low. Remember to keep feeding the jutsu your chakra, and hold tight to me. We will prevail."

How can he be so confident? A flutter of panic shot through my chest. How can I possibly do this? I am just me. A stupid pink haired girl from a corrupt village with nothing to my name. I am no one.

"Don't doubt. I came to you because I knew you could do this. I believe in you. And you need to too. The world is counting on you."

His words hit me in the chest like an actual blow. Everyone I know and love is counting on me. He is counting on me. I need to do this. I can do this!

I closed my eyes, to the feeling of floating. The feeling of weightlessness was both a thrill, and absolutely terrifying. I used every sense to focus on reaching out to my chakra.

My life force.

My very essence of self.

It hummed in my ears like bees, until it was deafening. It was tempting to loose my mind from the sound, but Itachi's grip on my hand kept my mind clear. I had a job to do.

Pushing past the hum, I found what I had been looking for. My vast chakra pool glowed in my mind's eye, like an ocean. Blue and green energy crackled as my thoughts skimmed the surface. Searching even deeper inside myself, I dug until I spotted the shore. Yellow colored power buzzed between the boundary of my chakra and my consciousness.

Sage chakra.

The volatile power snapped at me, feeling alien in comparison to the energy I used every day. Steadily I began to wrap my focus around the Sage power, slowly infusing it into my natural chakra pool. It hissed like hot metal touching water, and I felt the burn of the Seal of a Hundred as it crossed my skin with it's black markings.

Achingly slow, I combined my reserves, and when my ocean glowed a vibrant orange, I made the necessary hand seals. I opened my eyes to meet Itachi's as he mirrored my hand motions, and when finished, we both slammed our palms to the parchment, completing the jutsu.

What had been weightlessness suddenly felt like a gravity bomb, and I felt the pressure like it was trying to crush me. Darkness enveloped us, as the jutsu took hold, pulling us from our time into another one.

Numbness started to spread from my fingertips up my arms and down my legs, and fear set in once again.

'Sakura.' came what was barely a whisper.

"Itachi? Where are you, I can't see anything!"

'Sakura, breathe. We did it. You succeeded. There isn't any need to be afraid. Just breathe.'

"I feel like I'm being crushed!"

'You aren't. Do you trust me?'

Choking back tears, I nodded. At least, I hoped I nodded. All the feeling had left my body and I had no idea what I was doing.

"Yes! I trust you, just please don't let me die. I'm not ready."

A soft chuckle permeated my dark shroud around me. 'I would never let you die, Sakura. Trust, and breathe.'

His voice was the last thing I heard before true darkness set in and I blacked out.

 **They finally made it! I had a lot of fun writing Sakura's chakra adventure, so I really hope you enjoyed it. To me, it was similar to meditation using visualization, so in a way, it was kind of therapeutic. Thanks for reading!**

 **-Kurohime1024**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4! Thank you everyone who read and enjoyed my story thus far. I don't own Naruto. Please enjoy the 4th installment of Petals in the past.**

' _Sakura.' came what was barely a whisper._

" _Itachi? Where are you, I can't see anything!"_

' _Sakura, breathe. We did it. You succeeded. There isn't any need to be afraid. Just breathe.'_

" _I feel like I'm being crushed!"_

' _You aren't. Do you trust me?'_

 _Choking back tears, I nodded. At least, I hoped I nodded. All the feeling had left my body and I had no idea what I was doing._

" _Yes! I trust you, just please don't let me die. I'm not ready."_

 _A soft chuckle permeated my dark shroud around me. 'I would never let you die, Sakura. Trust, and breathe.'_

 _His voice was the last thing I heard before true darkness set in and I blacked out._

I woke up screaming. Something deep inside me let loose a guttural sound of pure terror. The sound of a door slamming open made me open my eyes to come face to face with my father, Kizashi Haruno.

His narrowed blue eyes scanned the room for intruders, but finding none, settled on me. I stopped screaming, but tears still pricked at my eyes. I hadn't seen him in years, and both he and my mother were thought to be dead after the latest onslaught to the village by Sound forces. I sent as many messages as I could, but I got no response, until it became too dangerous to send any more correspondence. But seeing him now, my heart filled with so much love and disbelief. We made it! Itachi actually made it possible for me to see them again. I hope he is as happy to see his new world as I am.

I couldn't help but reach out to touch my father's face, not fully convinced that he was real. My soft...small hand touched his rough skin. He was here. I was here! Movement out of the corner of my eye drew my attention to the door, where my mother Mebuki stood, kunai at the ready. I couldn't help it, tears sprung at my eyes, rolling freely down my face.

"Oh ho, my princess," my father comforted, "it's alright, it was just a dream. No one is here to hurt you. They would have to get through me first!"

My mother entered the room, putting her kunai away. "It's alright, sweet girl. It's probably just nerves. You will be alright, the academy won't be so bad, I promise you."

Although it was meant to comfort me, the tears only got heavier. I can't believe, after everything we went through, it worked. I had my second chance, and I needed to make the most of it.

"I will be ok, mom. I just had a really bad dream, that's all. Sorry to worry you."

She shook her head and bent over me to kiss me on the forehead. "Don't ever be sorry for something like that. It's my job to worry about you, you silly girl."

She stood straight and put an arm around my father as they both looked at me reassuringly. "It's both of our jobs to worry about you. We always will."

Kizashi frowned. "Hopefully not too much. I'm an old man, I can't take too much." Mebuki swatted at him. "Don't listen to your fool of a father. Now I know it's still early, but how do you feel about getting some breakfast in you before you head off for your first day. The sun will be up in about an hour, but I would rather you didn't rush."

I smiled. She always was such a worry wart. I nodded and swung my legs over the side of my bed and shuffled after my mother towards the kitchen. I wanted to enjoy all the time with them that I could. When I was a kid, it never occurred to me that my parents could die one day, but now I know that it's quite a real possibility, and could happen sooner than I ever dreamed.

 **Itachi POV**

A small breeze fluttered my hair against my face, annoying me enough to wake me. Apparently little me had fallen asleep at the table on my balcony attached to my bedroom. My parents always insisted I have my own quarters for privacy. I am thirteen, what could I possibly need privacy for? I shook my head. It didn't really matter. Maybe they were unconsciously preparing me for a life of loneliness. What a dark thought. I overlooked the grounds before me. The main house had an expansive lawn leading to a lake, but beyond that, I could make out the twinkling lights of the entirely Uchiha town. Wait. I could see!

How fantastic, I could actually see. Sakura was amazing. The chances of this working were pretty slim, but something told me she could pull it off. The girl had guts. I hope she wasn't too traumatized by our little cosmic adventure. But then, I felt fine, so she must be alright too.

The sky was dark, but the promise of dawn peeked just over the horizon. The day would begin soon. But I couldn't help myself. I had to stand here just a little bit longer drinking in the sight and smell of home. Actual home. The breeze came again, bringing with it the soft scent of lavender. It was so calming, mainly because it reminded me of my mother. She was tough, but only because she cared about her children. Both of us.

Sasuke.

He is here somewhere too. Thinking about him fills me with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I love him with all my heart. I always have. But on the other, I can't help but feel shame for what he had done. And the fact that his shame was also my shame, for I was the one who pushed him to that point.

I would save my baby brother. No matter what.

The sound of voices in my home distracted me from my thoughts. The house was alive, so I needed to be too.

I made my way through my bedroom and out the door into the hall. I could hear chatter from the kitchen, and I headed towards it. No matter what my future held, I had to face it. No point going through all the trouble of coming here and hiding in my room for the rest of my life.

My mother's laughter hit my ears like a drum. All I wanted to do was run to her. Hold her. Apologize on my knees for all the horrible things I had done, even in the name of good.

But I can't do that.

They must never know. And I can't go raising suspicion as soon as I got here.

I entered the kitchen, and almost choked on my own spit. There in front of me were my parents.

"Oh, Itachi!" my mother cried. "I didn't know you would still be here, you normally disappear on us. Good morning!" As she carried my father his coffee, she bent to land a kiss on my cheek. "I'm so happy! I wasn't sure you would be able to take Sasuke on his first day at the academy, you are always so busy nowadays."

I must have looked confused, because she eyed me with worry. "You are still taking him, right? I wasn't sure, I-"

"Of course I will take him, mother. It's an important day. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

My father made a sound behind me, and I turned to see his deep frown.

"If it's such an important day, where is he? Did he sleep in again? That boy will never understand the need for punctuality. What a child."

"He is a child, dear." My mother tutted at him. "He's only seven."

"He will be eight soon, and it's about time he becomes a man. Like his older brother. Itachi never disappointed me like Sasuke has."

Just then there was a crashing sound from the hallway, and the sound of frantic footsteps.

"I'm here, Father!" Sasuke cried, a smile on his face.

"Late, as always."

The smile slid off my brother's face just as quickly as it had appeared. I always hated my father for that. He never missed an opportunity to put Sasuke down. Not this time.

"Sasuke isn't late for anything, Father." I said calmly. No use letting him see the venom I had for him.

My father narrowed his eyes at me. But he doesn't scare me anymore. I already killed him once.

Sasuke started pulling at my sleeve, and I looked down into his sweet young face. "Yes Sasuke?"

"Are you taking me to the academy today, big brother?"

"Of course. You are going to be a great ninja, Sasuke. You will make us proud, I know it."

Even though my father sat shooting disapproving glares at us, anything would be worth the smile and admiration on Sasuke's face. I didn't protect him like I should have last time. I'm such a fool.

Soon it was time to leave, and the two of us left, my mother waiting at the door to see us off.

"I love you honey! You will be great, I know it!"

She always was full of love for us. How she got stuck with Fugaku is a total mystery to me, and always has been.

We walked steadily to the academy, the sunrise casting amber light on everything it touched. It was like a dream to me. Sasuke chatted to me the whole way, wondering at all the things he would learn and the kids he would meet. I knew Sakura would be readying herself for the academy too, if she wasn't here already. I had to find a way to get in touch with her so we could approach the Hokage together. I didn't like her plan, but I didn't have a better one. To free the Uchiha clan, we had to have a little faith. Or at least, that's what I think she would say.

The Uchiha have a hard debt to pay, ever since the nine tailed fox attacked the village seven years ago. The only ones capable of controlling the mighty beast was someone with the Sharingan, so instead of investigating, everyone was punished. I often wonder why the Hokage let it happen, but then, what was he supposed to do? The beloved Hokage at the time had died, and the people wanted action.

Of course, I could just bring them the corpse of the actual guilty party, Obito Uchiha. He has to be lurking around here somewhere.

I chuckled at the thought. A thirteen year old child bringing in the broken body of the word's most dangerous and powerful criminal? It might raise a few eyebrows.

"Big brother? What's so funny? I was just telling you about how all the girls keep chasing me. That's not funny at all, you meanie."

"I'm sorry Sasuke. You are right, that's not funny. But you shouldn't be mean to them just because they like you. They just think you are great."

Sasuke frowned. "I'm not stupid, Itachi. I know those girls only like me because I'm an Uchiha and our family has money. They don't like me. Not really."

"That's a little dark, Sasuke." I said, concerned. No child should be bothered with the thought that people only like him because he's from a wealthy family.

"It doesn't matter anyway. I don't like any of them. Girls are gross and distracting. They always try and take me away from training to sit and talk to them."

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me. "My brother, the lady's man." I chortled, breaking into a soft run.

"It's not funny, Itachi!" he cried, following me.

Soon we made it to the academy, Sasuke panting behind me. I bent my knees to get on his level and poked him in the forehead.

"Ow! What did you do that for?"

I just chuckled, turning away from him to survey the courtyard full of all the other academy students and their chaperons. A few faces seemed familiar, but no pink hair in sight. No blonde little boys either. I wonder if she found him already. Something in me told me that she wouldn't be able to resist seeking him out.

 **Sakura POV**

I had to chase off both of my parents this morning. They kept insisting I needed someone to walk me to the academy, but I finally convinced them that I was a big girl and could take myself. In reality, I was much more interested in finding a certain blonde and didn't want to face their questions and judgment.

I was getting close to the academy when I spotted him. He was on the grounds, but away from everyone. I could see the other kids looking at him, and whispering. I have never wanted to punch a child so much.

But then, I was a child now too. That was an adjustment. My mom still picked out my clothes, for Hokage's sake!

Ignoring the kids huddled together, I headed straight to the swing set where Naruto sat sideways, looking dejected.

"Hey, can I sit here?" I said. I think I scared him, because he jumped a mile high.

"Is this a joke? That's not very nice, just leave me alone."

Gods, he sounded so miserable.

"No dummy, it's not a joke. You looked all alone, so I thought I would come and say hi. My name is Sakura, by the way. What's yours?"

"Naruto." he mumbled, not meeting my eyes. How many times had kids played this cruel prank on him just to throw dirt in his face and run away?

I jumped up to sit in the swing next to him. "Hi Naruto, it's nice to meet you. Do you want to be my friend?"

He did look up then, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "R-really?"

"Absolutely."

His smile would put the sun to shame, he was shining so much. I will never know how to thank Itachi for giving me this opportunity. The way Naruto was treated still makes me sick when I think about it. Nobody is ever laying a hand on my friend ever again.

"Do you want to go see if anyone else will be our friend?" I asked, hoping he would come out of his shell a bit more.

"Oh," he said, slumping a little. "They don't want to be my friend. They all hate me."

"But why?"

"I don't know. It's always been that way. Everyone is mean, so I pull pranks on them."

I couldn't help but chuckle just a little at that. Of course you would pull pranks, you little punk.

I reached out and took his hand. "Come on, I'm sure there is someone here who would want to be our friend. Having friends is great, they make you feel good when you are down, and they can make you laugh!"

He still looked doubtful as I tugged him towards the main courtyard. The kids assembled there parted like magic, no one willing to meet the eyes of the famed 'demon container'. What shit. Then I saw him. Standing taller than the younger kids, his dark hair hung in a low ponytail. Itachi seemed to be scanning the area. Was he looking for me? He should know I would be here somewhere. I started tugging Naruto towards the two Uchiha brothers, holding fast to his hands.

 **Itachi POV**

I finally spotted her. A bright spot of bubblegum in a sea of black and brown. She was parting the children like the red sea, towing behind her a little flustered Uzumaki child. If she could see how pink the poor little boy's face was, she probably wouldn't be holding his hand so tight. In a way, it was cute.

She was making her way towards us. What was she thinking? If people thought that we knew each other, people might start to ask how. I small panic started to creep in as she got closer. Then, the pair were in front of us.

"Can we help you?" Sasuke asked, more than a little sneer in his tone. How could he know any different? He was raised the same way everyone else was in this village, with hatred for this little boy who did nothing wrong. It was truly pitiful.

"My name is Sakura, and this is my friend Naruto." she stated evenly. Little Sakura is adorable. She seems so serious.

"I don't care who you are, go away."

"Now, Sasuke," I said, shooting him a pointed glance. "You are being rude. What can we help you with, Sakura and friend Naruto?"

"Are you Itachi Uchiha?" Of course I am Sakura, but you already know that. This must be killing her. What is she planning?

"My friend is shy, but I heard that you are really strong. Will you spar with us? And if we win, you have to be friends with us."

I could feel a smile break out on my face before I could stop it. Is she serious? That's her plan? It's kind of insane, but also genius. Now we can talk whenever we might see each other later and I can keep my promise.

"My brother wouldn't bother with you! He's so strong, he could easily beat you!"

Was my brother always so uptight? Her plan is good. Even if she loses, which she will have to to stay in character, it will still open up a pathway to friendship.

"I think I have to accept this duel, Sasuke. She did approach me outright, it would be rude not to."

"But they aren't worth it!" Sasuke whined.

"You would turn your elder brother into a coward, Sasuke?"

His face flushed red. "Of course not!"

"Then I will spar with them. But I believe it's almost time for your first day at the academy to start. Why don't you bring them home with you, we can spar at our house, we have plenty of room to train."

Sasuke stared at me indignantly. Sakura is too good. If we start Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry early, they might even become decent friends by the time Sasuke killed everything in our old world.

Sakura stared me down with determination shining in her green eyes. "You better not be tricking me!"

"I would never. After school, I will spar with you. If I lose, I will be your friend. Promise." I held out my hand with my pinky finger out.

"Pinky promise."

She wrapped her little pinky around mine, and we shook on it. I guess I have a sparring match later today. Who knew my day would be so exciting?

 **I think little Sakura and Itachi are so cute, don't you? I liked the idea of a little sassy Sakura, so I thought it would be cute to have her challenge Itachi. If anyone has any side notes, please review and let me know. Thanks for reading!**

 **-Kurohime1024**


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